Starter mechanism for feeding blanks or the like



March 14, 1933* M. J. MILMOE 1,901

STARTER MECHANISM FOR FEEDING BLANKS OR THE LIKE Filed March 10, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORN Y- March 14, 1933.

M. J. MILMOE STARTER MECHANISM FOR FEEDING BLANKS OR THE LIKE Filed March 10, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q INIVENTOR:

A TTORNEY' Other Patented Mar. 14 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MICHAEL J. MILHOE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOB TO I. B. mINGTON' 00., 01'- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS STARTER MECHANISM FOR IFIElIEZDING- BLANKS OR TEELIIE Application filed larch '10, 1980. Serial No. 484,616.

This invention relates to packaging machines and more particularly to that class of machines in which a wra per in the form of a flat sheet of paper is fe out of a hopper or magazine into a position where the same wrapped about the article. More specifically this invention pertains to the means for feedingfne blank at a time out of the magazine. ne object of this invention is the provi-v sion of suitable feeding means for feeding the blanks out of the magazine without tearing the same.

Another object of this invention resides in providing a uniform amount of feed for eachof the blanks as they are fed out of the magazme.

A still further object resides in providing a means for feeding the blanks out of the magazine which comprises a yielding means A more specific object of this invention resides in the provision of a two-part feeding mechanism, the parts being movable relatively to each other and one of the parts being driven at'a constant speed.

A still further object of this. invention re-' sides in providing a friction feeding device in which the friction surface has its motion retarded as it strikes the blank which'is to be fed from the magazine and as the blank is being fed out'of the magazine this friction surface a ain increases its speed.

grjects of this invention will appear as the description of this invention proceeds.

In the drawings-'- Fig. 1 represents a side elevational view of adevice embodying m invention, this device being shown part yin section for the sake of clearness;

Fi 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showm the parts in a slightly difl'erent position;

ig. 3 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 2,

fed out ofbut showing the arts in still another posit1on and with ad itional parts in section for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the feed roller;

My invention is shown embodied in 'a de- 1 vice for feeding a series of blanks out of a magazine 1 onto a support 2, these blanks being delivered onto the support 2 one at a time. The ma azine may be of any suitable construction, ut the magazine illustrated compr1ses the side wall 3, rear wall 4 and front wall 5. The side of magazine op osite to the wall 3 is open and an' agitating har 6. which is movable horizontally and engages the edges of the blanks 7 within the magazine, msures that the blanks will be always fed downwardly towards the bciiifpm of the magazine.

A shaft 8 extends through the wall 3 of the magazine and is rotatably sup orted b suitable bearings, one of which is shown in ig. 4 at 9 a collar 10 being used to revent endwise displacement of the shaft 8. mount a cylindrical member 11 freely upon the shaft 8 so that the same may rotate about the shaft 8 except that I provide means which limits the amount of rotation of the member 11 about theshaft 8. This mechanism I will describe shortly. I l The cylindrical member 11v has one side thereof recessed at 12 to receive a member designated generally as 13. This member has the central portion-14 thereof adapted to be secured by'means of screws 15 to the-cylindrical part 11, and this central part 14 carries oppositely disposed portions 16 which have an outer curved surface of lesser'radius than radius of curvature of the outer surface of the member 11. The flat surfaces of the portion 16 particularly Figs. 1,2 and 3) are spaced 6111 the bottom of the recess 12. Friction elements 17 preferably formed of rubber are in the form of closed loops as best illustrated in Fi 1;, 2 and 3. These are placed over t e portion 16 and the thi v space between the wall 5 and the supp ness of the material which forms the loops is suiliciently great to give a radius of curvature to the outer surfaces of the friction members when they have been placed on the portion 16, which is greater than the radius 'of curvature of the cylindrical surface of the member 11 and this friction surface which I shalldesignate as 18 therefore will lie farther away from the axis of the shaft 8 than will the outer surface ofthe cylindrical member 11.

A sharp needle like member 19 is secured in a bracket 20 by means of a screw 21 and this needle penetrates the lowermost ones of the blanks within the magazine and has a tendency to prevent movement of the blanks out of the opening 22 which is formed by the ort 2.

If we were to consider first that the member 11 were secured to the shaft 8 it will readily be seen that when the friction surface 18 engages the lowermost one of the blanks in the magazine, there will be a tendency at least at first, for the friction surface to slide over the surface of the blank so that the blank is not moved forward through the opening 22 or at least is not moved forward as quickly as may be desired nor as uniformly as is required for the correct operation thereof. This is due to the fact that when the friction surface 18 engages the blanks the same tends to slide thereover, and it is well known that sliding friction isnot the greatest force which may be exerted between surfaces which roll on each other and yet are capable of sliding movement relatively to each other. Therefore, if somecmeans is provided for insuring that rolling friction instead of sliding friction causes the blanks to move out of the magazine, a result will be accomplished that is far superior to a starting roller which is fixed on a rotating shaft such as the shaft 8.

My present invention relates to a machine for insuring that rolling friction instead of sliding friction causes the blanks to be moved out through. the opening 22 onto the suppprt 2. This means comprises a pair of memrs 23 and 24, the former of which is pro vided with a pair of ears 25'through which the screw 26 extends. Bytightening the screw 26 the ears 25 are drawn together and in this manner a member 23 is securely clamped on the shaft 8 and is constrained to move therewith. The member 24 has two cylindrical portions 27 which lie on opposite sides of the member 23, and these bearing portions are connected by the cross piece 28.

The member 24 is free to rotate on the shaft 8 except as hereinafter provided. The cross piece 28 and one of the lugs 25 each have recesses in opposed faces thereof for the reception of a spring 28' best illustrated in Fig. 3. This spring has a tendency to move the member 24 in a clockwise direction about the shaft 8 as viewed in Fig. 3, and this movement is limited by astop-shoulder 29 on -on the member 11 and tends to move the blanks out of the magazine when the friction surface 18 engages theblanks. Let us assume that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the blanks resting on the needle 19, and the surface of the cylindrical member 11. The needle will overcome all of the frictional force exerted between the member 11 and the blanks 7 and the blanks will not move out of the magazine, however, as the shaft 8 continues to rotate in the direction of the arrow the friction surface 18 engages the lower blank of the stack of blanks in the magazine and the friction between the friction surface 18 and the lowermost blank tends to retard the movement of the member 17 and also the friction surface 18 and due tothe spring 28which is arranged between the members 23 and 24, the member 13 which carries the friction element is enabled, to yield and have its motion retarded even though the shaft 8 and the member 11 continue to rotate at a constant speed. However, it will be understood that the friction is still maintained between the member .18 and the lowermost blank and tendsalways to move the blank out of the magazine. The blank, is started from its position of rest in a more or less gradual manner due to the yielding engagement between the friction surface and the blank and instead of the friction surface sliding over the blank the same is soon rolling over the surface of the blank and this rolling continues during the entire movement of the blank out of the magazine and onto the support 2. In this manner a greater amount of friction is used to move the blank out of the magazine than is the case where slidin friction is depended upon for moving the blanks out of the magazine.

M .invention is particularly important for feeding the last of a series of blanks out of the magazine for at that time the weight of the blanks has decreased a considerable extent, and therefore it is necessary to use the maximum available amount of friction in moving the blanks out of the magazine. Since rolling friction and not sliding friction is the greater of the two, my" device will work more efliciently'than the devices which have been in use prior to my invention.

Another feature of my invention is that the position of the friction surface relatively to the shaft 8 may be very quickly changed merely by loosening the screw 26 and moving the member 23 about the shaft the desired amount.

In this mannerthe time at which the blank is fed out of the magazine I may be regulated. This is a very desirable feature of my invention in view of the fact that the blanks must be fed from the magazine in a predetermined timed relation to the movements of the other parts of the mechanism which are not shown. In other words, a slight delay in feeding the blank out of the magazine is apt to result in a serious delay in the operation of the machine, and ifthe blank is fed out of the magazine too soon,

the previous blank ma not have cleared or the rest of the mechanism may not be ready to receive the blank and thus cause delay.

When the blanks are fed out. of the magazine they pass between the rollers 32 and 33 which rotate in the direction shown by the arrows in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The spring 34 presses against the shaft 35 which supports the roller 32 and urges the roller 32 towards theiroller 33. An adjusting screw 36 regulates the tension on the spring 34. These rollers receive the blank therebetween after the blank moves through the opening 22 and move the blank clear of the magazine, it bein understood that the starter roller having t e friction surface 18 is used only for the the magazine.

Obviously those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various changes therein and construct other modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the ap ended claims.

aving thus fully described myinvention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the .UnitedIStates is 1. Feeding mechanism comprisin a magazine for receivin blanks, a nee le upon which a portion 0 the blanks rest, a starting roll, a shaft .upon which said starting roll is mounted, yielding connection between said shaft and starting roll for driving the latter, and a friction-surface on a portion only of thecylindrical surface of said start-- ing roll, said connection between. said shaft and starting roll bein such as to permit said roll ,to be retarded when said portion which has ahighcoefiicient of friction engages one of said blanks.

2. In a blank-feeding apparatus, the combination of a continuously moving member adapted to travel in a fixed path relative to a stack of blanks, a frictional feed element actuated by said member, means associated with said moving member for continuously moving said feed element in a single and fixed path of travel'past said stack of blanks,

said means including devices for permitting purpose of starting the blanks out of the speed of travel of said feed element to be retarded ,sulliciently to frictionally grip a blank and feed it forwardly when said feed element moves' into engagement with said blank.

3. In a blank-feeding a 'paratus, the combination of a continuous y moving member having a surface adapted to travel in slippin contact with a blank contained in a stac of blanks, a frictional feed element of a greater coefiicient of friction and having its surface projectin beyondan'd immovable relative to the rst mentioned surface and adapted likewise to contact said stack of blanks, and means for yieldingly rmitting the speed of travel of said frictional feed element to be retarded without stoppm it to permit it to feed blanksin said stac forwardly.

- 4. In a'blank-feeding apparatus, a continuously rotatable driving member, means having an interrupted-frictional blank-feedin surface, said means being mounted on said driving member and continuously rotating with said driving member in a circular path of constant radius from the axis of rotation of said shaft, and means whereby said feeding surface is adapted resilientl to yield angularly with respect to its axis 0 rotation when the said surface enga es the blank to be fed whereby the speed 0 travel a tarde to initiate the feeding action.

6. In a blank-feeding apparatus, drivin means, a feed roll driven by said means an having means forming a frictional feed surface r g'id with said roll, and means automatically actuated by the contactof said frictional feed surface withthe blank to be fed adapted to yield to thereby permit retardingthe speed of travel of said surface sufiiciently to give said surface a rolling contact with said blank to feed the blank. 7.111 a blank-feeding apparatus, drivin means,- a feed roll driven by said means an havin means forming a frictional'feed surface! rlgid therewith and projecting beyond the periphery of said roll, and means automatically actuated by'contact of said outwardly rojecting portion with the blank to be fed, or permitting the speed of travel of said surface to be decreased whereby to give said surface a rolling contact with said blank to feed the blank.

8. In a blank-feeding apparatus, driving means, a feed roll driven by said means and having means forming a frictional feed surface rigid therewith, and means automatically actuated by contact of said frictional means, a roll rotated t ereby and havinlg a P s d of travel of said second mentione peri heral portion adapted to rotate in s ping contact with a blank, said roll having a peripheral portion of-greater coefiicient of riction than said first mentioned peripheral portion and rigid with said first mentioned peripheral portion, and means for permittin the lesseningof the speed of travel of sai portion of greater coeflicient of friction to permit it to grip the work and feed the blank forwardl 10. In a blang-feeding apparatus the-combination of driving means, a roll rotatably driven thereby having a periphery rotating in slipping contact with a blank, said roll havin another peripheral ortion of greater coefficient of friction rigi d' with said first mentioned ortion and projecting beyond the periphery t ereof forcontact with the blank, and means for automatically lessenin the P tion sufiiciently to permit it to grip the blank and feed it forwardly.

11. A rotatable feed roll having means forming a peripheral feed surfaceo greater coefficient of friction than the remaining peripheral surface of the roll and-immovable relatively thereto, and a yielding driving means for said roll.

12. A rotatable feed roll having a blankcOntacting peripheral portion and means formin a feed surface of greater coefiicient of friction and projecting beyond the periphcry of said blank-contacting portion and immovable relative thereto, and a yielding driving means for said roll.

13. Ina blank-feeding mechanism, the

combination of a continuously rotating driving member, a frictional feed surface ada ted to be rotated by said driving means for rictionally contacting a blank to feed it forward, and means for permitting said feeding surface to shift angularly with respect to said driving means, and means for adjusting the position of said feedin surface relative to the axis of rotation of t e driving means whereby to control the time of feed of said blank.

14. In a blank-feeding apparatus, the

combination of a stack of blanks, a movable element having a feed surface adated to engage a blank in said stack, means or continuously moving said feed element, means for suficiently retarding the speed of travel of said feed surface without stopping it to rmit said feed surface to initiate the feeding of the blank, and means for adjusting the position of said feed surface relative to said movable element for controlling the time of contact of said feed surface with the blank.

15. A blank-feeding device comprisin a continuously rotating shaft, a feed ro er loosely mounted on said shaft said feed. roller having a sector-sha d peripheral portion rigidly and detacha ly mounted thereon, the surface of said portion havin a greater coeflicientof friction than the eed roll and projecting be 0nd the peripheral plane of said roll, said eed roll having a laterally projecting abutment, vmeans forming an abutment mounted on said shaft for angular adjustment relative to said shaft, and means interposed between said abutment and the lateral projection on said roll forming a yielding driving connection between said abutment on said'shaft and the abutment on said roll.

16.4-In a blank feeding apparatus, a roll havin a feed surface immovable relative to sai roll, driving means, means cooperating with said roll and driving means for rotating said roll, .said cooperating means being yieldable to permit the retarding of vflattened surface, and friction elements arranged about said second member and ada ted to project beyond the cylindrical sur ace ofsaid first member when said second member 18 secured to said first member.

18. In a blank-feeding apparatus, the combination of a continuously moving member having a surface adapted to travel in slippin contact with a blank contained in a stack 0 blanks, a frictional feed element of greater coefficient of friction having the surface thereof immovablerelative to the first mentioned surface and adapted likewise to name to this specification on this 8th day of March, A. D. 1930.

' MICHAEL J. MILMOE. 

